Chargers 90-in-90: RB Larry Rountree

Larry Rountree was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina before going on to star at Millbrook High School under head coach Clarence Inscore. As a senior, he rushed for 1,147 yards and 21 touchdowns while also averaging 33.8 yards per kick return on 10 attempts. Following his prep career, he got the chance to play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star game where he rushed for 87 yards on 17 carries.

As a true freshman at Missouri, Rountree was voted to the SEC All-Freshman team after rushing for 703 yards and six touchdowns. His performance set the stage for him to start for the Tigers over his final three seasons where he’d end up as the school’s all-time leader in rushing yards with 3,720 and rushing touchdowns with 40.

Unsurprisingly, Rountree would go on to be invited to the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl to compete amongst the best senior players in the country.

Rountree was selected by the Chargers in the sixth round with the 198th-overall pick. As a rookie, he scored his first professional touchdown against the Vikings in Week 10. Prior to the 2022 season, he was waived and re-signed to the practice squad. On November 12th, he was promoted to the active roster and waived once again on November 26th. In January of 2023, Rountree signed a reserve/future contract.

Basic Info

Height: 5’10
Weight: 211
College: Missouri
Experience: 2
Years with team: 2

Contract Status

“Larry Rountree III signed a 1 year, $940,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including an average annual salary of $940,000. In 2023, Rountree III will earn a base salary of $940,000, while carrying a cap hit of $940,000.” - Spotrac.com

The Good

Rountree has been a versatile player for the Chargers who has provided depth at running back while also filling in on several special teams positions. His experience is still worth something in a rather young position group, but time in the NFL only means so much if you’re not doing a whole lot with it.

The Bad

Since being selected in the sixth round after a productive career in the SEC, Rountree hasn’t been able to take advantage of his sparse opportunities over his first two seasons. As a rookie, he couldn’t distance himself from Joshua Kelley during the 2021 season and he couldn’t help bring consistency to a shaky position group in 2022. Rountree also doesn’t display any notable athleticism for a back his size and near-4.70 40 isn’t cutting it in the pros.

Odds of making the roster/What to expect in 2023?

Depending on how many running backs the team keeps, there is a small chance Rountree could be kept with one of the last few roster spots but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him end up on the practice squad for another year. I like UDFA Elijah Dotson to challenge him for a roster spot after surprising during the preseason slate.